Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between servant leadership and proactive behaviors. Apart from this, drawing on the cognitive evaluation theory, we regard that proactive behaviors are driven by intrinsic motivation and further propose three psychological constructs to clarify the underlying mechanisms of servant leadership on employees’ proactive behaviors: Job autonomy, leader-member exchange and role breadth self-efficacy. Using a sample of 227 leader-employee dyads from two companies, the empirical results show that: 1) Servant leadership had positive effects on individual task proactivity and team member proactivity; 2) The relationship between servant leadership and individual task proactivity was mediated by job autonomy and role breadth self-efficacy, while leader-member exchange and role breadth self-efficacy mediated the influence of servant leadership on team member proactivity. All hypotheses were supported. Overall, this study enriches and develops related theories of proactive behaviors’ influencing factors. It uses cognitive evaluation theory to integrate the mechanisms that motivate employees’ proactive behaviors. It species the different psychological processes that servant leadership promotes employees’ proactive behaviors directed to different targets. It provides important references for managers to effectively encourage employees’ individual task proactivity and team member proactivity. Besides, limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed at the end of the article.
Highlights
Due to the increasing dynamics and uncertainty in external business environment, the flat and decentralized tendency of internal organization construction, and the emergence of self-management teams, to show more proactive behaviors is increasingly important for employees
Using a sample of 227 leader-employee dyads from two companies, the empirical results show that: 1) Servant leadership had positive effects on individual task proactivity and team member proactivity; 2) The relationship between servant leadership and individual task proactivity was mediated by job autonomy and role breadth self-efficacy, while leader-member exchange and role breadth self-efficacy mediated the influence of servant leadership on team member proactivity
We found that servant leadership had positive effects on individual task proactivity and team member proactivity
Summary
Due to the increasing dynamics and uncertainty in external business environment, the flat and decentralized tendency of internal organization construction, and the emergence of self-management teams, to show more proactive behaviors is increasingly important for employees. As an important part of the organizational context, leadership’s influence on employees’ proactive behaviors has received much research attention. Previous studies have examined the impact of some leadership factors, such as transformational leadership, ethical leadership, leaders’ supportive and empowered behaviors on proactive behaviors, the servant leadership which combines service, altruism, empowerment, and ethics with the natural fit of proactive behaviors has not been tested by empirical research. There are many contextual variables that affect proactive behaviors of employees, as a result, a single behavior or style of leadership can’t stimulate employees well. When they are organically integrated into a multi-faceted leadership that interacts and promotes each other, can employees’ proactive behaviors be influenced strongly. Servant leadership is exactly such a multiple leadership which contains seven dimensions: conceptual skills, empowerment, helping subordinates grow and succeed, putting subordinates first, behaving ethically, emotional healing, creating value for the community (Liden, Wayne, Zhao, & Henderson, 2008)
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